The Niagara News is the community newspaper of Niagara College located in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is created and produced by the students of the Niagara College Journalism program.

Apple cuts headphones loose

By ALEX YORKEStaff Writer New iPhone announcements are typically met with praise, but with the 2016 iPhone 7 lineup’s controversial removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, some people are less than impressed. From devout Apple fans to the casual smartphone user, the decision to leave out such a commonplace feature may have come as a surprise when Apple revealed iPhone 7, 7plus and the wireless Bluetooth “Air Bud” headphones during their Sept. 7 keynote in San Francisco. Others argue the move represents a natural evolution for the device. At Niagara College, some students have been quick to criticize the decision. “I think it sucks,” says second-year Niagara Link Autocad student Nicholas Cassonette, who recently made the decision to change devices due to the headphone issue. “I just think Apple is trying to make more money off of it honestly.” Kenny Cormier, a first-year Fitness and Health Promotion program student, has been using Apple devices since the launch of the iPhone 3g. “It’s not much different than the 6s,” says Cormier. “I don’t like wireless headphones, they are too easy to lose.” New features on the iPhone 7 range from commonplace upgrades to the phone’s processor and battery life to improvements to the model’s waterproofing and camera technologies. But this isn’t enough to distract some from their disappointment about the missing feature, despite the inclusion of headphones that plug directly into the lightning port and an adapter for those unwilling to part with their wired audio devices. Wayne MacPhail, a Rabble.ca columnist and veteran technology journalist, believes abandoning wires is a step in the right direction on Apple’s part. “I’m really impressed actually,” says MacPhail. “I think that they’ve made really interesting strides in terms of the camera, particularly on the 7plus and I think that the Air Buds are a really good step forward. “If you look ahead five years, people are going to think that the idea of wearing headphones connected to your phone via wires will seem kind of silly.” MacPhail continued: “As the standard improves, the problem with Bluetooth is that every year is supposed to be the year it’s supposed to get better and that hasn’t happened yet.” Speculation on Apple moving in a Bluetooth-only direction has been ongoing since Apple’s acquisition of the headphone manufacturer Beats in May of 2014. So the question remains, what took the place of the headphone jack? From the specifications listed on Apple’s website, it appears to be the new “Taptic” touch technology that will be the key component to the iPhone 7’s home button. You will no longer be able to push down on the home button. In fact, it isn’t even a button at all. With Taptic, buttons are simulated. Upon touch, the phone will vibrate to create the feeling of a press. “Certainly for gamers it’s going to be interesting,” says MacPhail. “Software designers are certainly going to make use of it. It’s available for them, so they are going to do some interesting stuff.” With the lukewarm welcome of the iPhone 7, there are questions about how sales will be impacted. Apple may have had a stroke of luck given one of their primary competitors, Samsung, had to issue a massive recall of their flagship phone, the Galaxy Note 7. “It’s really bad timing for Samsung,” says MacPhail. “It (has) really hurt them in the short term in terms of recall costs, also their stock is going down so there is going to be some brand damage for several years.” Apple is no stranger to recalls. The damage left behind by the iPhone 5 battery replacement program still persists as the program was recently extended through 2016. Whether you hate the idea of going fully wireless or you love it, we will certainly find out if Bluetooth is boom or bust when Apple releases their sales figures. Until then, it will be up to consumers to vote with their wallets.